5th Recce Sicily - 5th August

Discussion in 'Recce' started by Liz24MG, Jul 8, 2020.

  1. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

    I know my grandfather in the 5th Recce was injured on the 5th August in Sicily. Does anyone know where the regiment would have been on that day so I can try and understand where he may have been injured. Was it Catania which I know fell on that day?

    Thanks
     
  2. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    It was certainly around that area but your best bet is the war diaries for precise information or perhaps their history. "WHEELED ODYSSEY THE STORY OF THE FIFTH RECONNAISSANCE REGT., ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS", I think there is a member on here who may assist with the latter. Did you send off for his service records? 5th Recce
    Where did the date come from?
     
  3. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

    Thanks Tony. The date comes from the telegram we still have notifying his wife of his injury. We do have a copy of Wheeled Odyssey but due to COVID have not been able to travel to my dads to read it! We have only recently applied for his records and would imagine there is a bit of a backlog at this stage. I believe the history of the 5th infantry might also have some details of what they were up to?

    Liz
     
  4. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Liz, sometimes squadrons of recce were dispersed over quite a large area which is why you may need the diaries to pin down locations. There was a MM award around that time Decorations and Awards to Members of the Reconnaissance Corps

    From the casualty lists these 5 Recce were wounded 5 August 43, BUT that is those on one particular list and may well be others:
    6919148 BALDWIN
    6919193 CHARMAN
    10601042 DAVIES
    6916471 HAMMERTON

    Edit. Yes you are correct about the backlog!
     
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  5. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

    Thanks Tony, that is really helpful to understand
     
  6. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    From Doherty, it seems that the 5th Recce were delving west of the city in the foothills of Etna eg towards Paterno.. the front was moving northwards on both sides of Etna from 5th onwards.. Tony knows best, mind.
     
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  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    This should help.pages 133 & 134 from Aris "The Fifth British Division 1939 to 1945".

    This bit is of interest.
    2020-07-08 20.49.37.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

    This is super helpful, great information. Thank you so much
     
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  9. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    2 pages of War Diary resized_P7110116.jpg resized_P7110117.jpg
     
  10. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

    Thank you so much for this. I am very grateful.
     
  11. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    2 more War Diary pages dated 5th August
    resized_P7110164.jpg
    resized_P7110135.jpg
     
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  12. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    and picking out one of the map refs from RM's last post - 791838 - to give an idea of the area under discussion

    pat3.png

    The "Coordinates Translator"
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

  14. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    As Richard explained in his post #12, the map references contained in the patrol report (provided by Recce_Mitch) give the positions of the various events that took place on 5 August '43, to add some more detail I have plotted these on a period map:-
    1 = 783823
    2 = 791838
    3 = 791849
    4 = 791835
    5 = 790830
    6 = 772821
    7 = 787847

    Paterno.jpg
     
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  15. Liz24MG

    Liz24MG Member

    Thanks Tony, i'll have a good look at this, really helpful, thanks for taking the time
     
  16. Hendrie

    Hendrie Junior Member

    My Dad was wounded in the same action - this is an extract from 'Wheeled Odyssey' - thanks to the other posters in the thread, there's a lot of information I hadn't seen before
     

    Attached Files:

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